Hello and welcome to a new story. I hope you find it intriguing enouguh to continue to read as it grows and blossoms.

As usual, my standard disclaimers apply. I don't own the characters or the world they live in, I'm just using them to keep my mind occupied.

You're Pretty Messed Up Too

Prologue

Ricardo Carlos Manoso felt a familiar tingle run all the way up his spine and knew without doubt that his shadows were once again attempting to creep up on him. It was one of their many favourite activities, right up there with eating cereal in their pyjamas while watching cartoons and getting dirty. They weren't especially good creepers, and the fact that he could sense their presence didn't make things any easier, but the thrill of crawling through bushes, rolling under sofas and hiding behind things was enough to keep them entertained for hours. And isn't that every parent's dream?

A slight noise over by the pile of timber alerted him to his sons' proximity and he casually set down the power saw he'd been using, ensuring the safety was on, just in case little fingers went places they ought not to go. He was brushing his hands off on his faded black jeans when two sets of arms wrapped tightly around his legs. Not bothering to acknowledge his new accessories, he picked up his tape measure and double checked the length of the timber he'd just cut. Perfect, just as he'd suspected. Still ignoring the two klingons he walked slowly over to the timber pile to pick up a new length. It was slow going, given his leg weights, and by the time he'd made it to the pile a black SUV had pulled to the curb and three men had spilled out.

"You're walking a bit stiff there, Boss," Bobby commented, giving his professional opinion. "Maybe I should take a look at your legs, make sure nothing's going on down there."

"That'd be great, Bobby," Carlos responded, forgoing the timber as his company medic jumped the fence and met him in the middle of the front yard. "They're just feeling a bit heavy today," he explained, smiling slightly as Bobby crouched down to examine the problem.

"Yep," he said, straightening up after a few quick pokes and prods at the boys. "It's just as I suspected. You've got a couple of growths. Nothing serious, but I would suggest removing them. I'll have my assistants do the procedure and you'll be good as new before you know it."

At Bobby's nod, Tank and Lester swooped in from opposite sides, reefing the twins from his legs and dumping them unceremoniously on the grass. The boys struggled to get up as the men kept pushing them back down, even pinning them to the ground with a booted foot.

"We've got wrigglers, Sir," Lester announced. "How should we proceed?"

"Neutralise," Carlos commanded and in the next moment the air was alive with peals of laughter.

When both boys were completely lost in giggles, they were left there to pull themselves together while the men gathered around the plans Carlos had drawn up the earlier in the week. They were discussing details and division of labour when the two terrors rejoined them.

"What are you doing, Dad?" Matias enquired, pushing into the middle of their little circle.

His twin brother, Eduardo, attempted to do the same from the other side of the gathering, choosing the small gap between Lester and Bobby as his point of entry. Unfortunately, neither adult seemed inclined to let him in, refusing to budge even an inch. Edi was persistent, though, and didn't mind stretching his face out of shape as he tried to force his way in. He was leaning forward to put more weight behind his efforts when Bobby decided to relent. He stepped to the side just slightly, and the small child was thrown forward with enough force to knock his brother to the ground. They both grunted from the impact, but since no harm was done, continued with their shared train of thought.

"Can we help?" they asked enthusiastically from the ground.

Carlos eyed the pair critically, taking in their stubborn curls sticking out in all directions like wayward springs, their hopeful expressions, and finally their flip-flop clad feet. Having made up his mind, he instructed, "Get your boots on and grab your tool belts." And the boys were off running for the hall closet.

The men watched them go before returning their attention to the plans and the pile of timber. "So it's really happening?" Lester asked. "She's coming home?"

"Of course she's coming home," Bobby replied. "It's been three months, she's not getting any better, and she's not getting any worse. And she probably misses the boys like crazy."

Tank, scrutinized the diagrams and blueprints he held with a closed expression on his face. He didn't like Steph being injured any more than the rest of them. "But she's still not walking," he said flatly, not phrasing it as a question since the answer was right in front of him. Why would they be building a wheelchair ramp to the front porch if Steph could walk? They wouldn't. So the plans and the pile of wood were all the answer he needed.

Steph had been struggling to overcome her injuries for months now, and despite the doctors' assessment that there was absolutely nothing wrong with her legs, that they had recovered just fine, she was still unable to walk. No one could figure out why, though there were a lot of theories flying around. Carlos had hoped that he could avoid the necessity of a ramp if Steph could improve enough that she could at least walk with assistance, but alas, the time had come that she was insisting on coming home. He had put off the build as long as possible.

"What are we making?" Eduardo asked, clomping down the front steps as he fastened his tool belt.

"Can I pound something?" Matias requested, holding up his hammer. "I'm good at hitting things."

"What are we making?" Edi reiterated.

"We're making a ramp for Mommy," Carlos informed his sons. "You can help Uncle Lester dig the holes for the poles."

The boys got twin looks of confusion as they gazed around the front yard, causing Carlos to suppress a sigh, he'd been trying to explain the situation for two days now, but their constant questions meant that he was never quite sure he got the message through to them. Now was one of those times. Sure enough, the questions began anew.

"Where's Mommy?" Mat asked.

"Why does she need a ramp?" Edi added.

"Yeah," Mat said. "I thought you said she wasn't coming home until she was better."

So apparently they had listened and absorb some of what he'd said, but not enough to understand properly. Thankfully, Bobby took over trying to explain things.

"Mommy needs a ramp because her legs still aren't working properly," he informed them patiently. "Remember when you went to visit her last month and she let you ride up and down the hall with her in her wheelchair?" The boys nodded. "Well when she comes homes tomorrow she'll still be in the chair so we're going to build a ramp so that she can get into the house. Isn't that nice?"

"Where's it going to go?" they asked. Lester spun them around and pointed them toward the freshly turned dirt Carlos had prepared that morning. "Wow!" they exclaimed, hurrying over to the area that had previously been filled with blooming bushes. Matias knelt down, running his fingers through the soft dirt while Eduardo ran back and forth across it, packing it down. "This is awesome!"

The men exchanged looks. "We probably should have started this sooner," Tank pointed out. "With the boys helping it'll probably take twice as long."

Carlos shook his head. "Steph won't mind if she has to wait an extra day if she knows that the boys helped make it for her."

If you want to find out more, let me know in a review.